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Search continues for ex-boyfriend in Mascotte woman's killing

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - Lake County sheriff's investigators are continuing their search for the ex-boyfriend of a Mascotte woman who was found dead inside her home Monday.

On Tuesday, investigators said an arrest warrant has been issued for Johnny Lashawn Shipman in the death of Kristi Lynne Delaney.

Delaney's current boyfriend spoke with Channel 9 on Tuesday.

"He needs to be caught. He needs to get his justice to him," the boyfriend said.

Delaney was found dead inside her Bay Lake Avenue home after her and Shipman's 3-year-old daughter walked more than a mile to her grandmother's house.

"I was amazed that the little girl was walking by herself," said neighbor Erika Conde.

Neighbors spotted the little girl walking and went after her to make sure she was OK.

"We've seen her with the parents before, but never alone," said neighbor Martha Lupian.

The good Samaritans went with the child to her grandmother's house and told her the little girl was walking around by herself.

"Her baby walked over here and just started talking to us, saying, 'Mommy is on the floor. Mommy's dead.' Just like that," said family member Phillip Bonelli.

Investigators said the grandmother called police and then later went to her daughter's home and discovered her body.

Investigators said Delaney was slain and they believe her daughter witnessed the killing.

"We heard this loud, piercing scream. I was like, 'Oh, my gosh. I have to hang up the phone and find out where that's coming from,'" said neighbor Brittany Evans.

Delaney's family members believes their daughter was beaten to death, but police have not said how the woman died.

Neighbors said there had been problems before between the victim and her boyfriend at the home.

"They used to fight a lot," said Lupian.

Investigators believe Monday's incident was also domestic-related.

Channel 9 learned Shipman and Delaney both filed injunctions against each other last year because of domestic violence.

In one of the injunctions, Delaney said she was worried something like this would happen, according to Channel 9's Tim Barber.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation because the killing is Mascotte's first in nearly a decade.

Investigators are asking that anyone who might have seen Shipman in either the Ocala area or the Highway 50 area near Mascotte contact the Lake County Sheriff's Office at 352-343-2101 or CRIMELINE at 800-423-TIPS.

Authorities said they believe Shipman could be on his way to Alabama, where he has relatives.